Bridging the Gap: Year one
by volatica.aquila
Summary: HG RHr RATED M!  THIS SERIES WILL NOT BE COMPLETED, PLEASE SEE MY NEW PROJECT "YEARS LATER" FOR A SIMILAR CONCEPT. IT WILL BE A MUCH BETTER SERIES
1. Back to the Burrow

_Disclaimer: I'm sure if this isn't the first fic that you have read then you know that drill. All I own here is the plot.. And maybe a character or two, but nothing from Harry Potter. I'm telling you this only because lawsuits are not my friend. So enjoy!_

_IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS FANFIC IS RATED "M" THAT IS FOR A VERY GOOD REASON, SO I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THINGS BEING GRAPHIC, OR INAPPROPRATE FOR CHILDREN. CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE READING THIS. YOU ARE WARNED._

_So without further nonsense, please enjoy!_

CHAPTER ONE: BACK TO THE BURROW

Harry had managed to sneak off in all of the commotion and was currently sitting on a bed in the shrieking shack staring out the window at the moon. It wasn't full, but it still made him think of Remus and Tonks. Teddy would grow up without proper parents now and Harry wouldn't wish that on anyone. He was beginning to feel his muscles aching with fatigue, but he knew that he wouldn't sleep tonight. All those people who had died! Fred! Collin! So many of them were so young, and their lives were over. He couldn't understand why he had been left alive. There was no telling how long Harry had sat there staring out that window lost in his own thoughts and regrets until he was startled by a noise behind him. He turned around quickly and pulled his wand.

"Harry, it's just me" came a calming voice from the door.

He lowered his wand and allowed Ginny to enter.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked, the only thing he could think of to say.

"I didn't. I was just looking for a place away from the noise." She responded honestly as she sat down on the bed, "but you aren't going to bother me being here." she added quickly, hoping not to offend him into leaving.

"That's good," Harry said in a tone that surprised him. He wasn't planning on leaving and was surprised that she wasn't bothering him at all.

Her face was tearstained and more tears were falling. She leaned towards him and he obliged in holding her close. His hand began to stroke her hair as they both leaned back to lay on the bed. She snuggled her body close to him, a movement that gave him a surprising chill of excitement considering the situation. His heart was beating fast, and it didn't help when she adjusted her body in order to face him. She was giving him an odd look. Without thinking their faces moved closer together until their lips met in a passionate kiss. It never seemed to end, and neither of them seemed to want it to.

Not only were they kissing each other more passionately than they ever had, but their hands were wandering as well. Harry bravely allowed his hands to reach down towards her ass, and hers to his lower back. He squeezed and she let out a little moan in response and gripped his lower back. He pulled her waist closer to his and received another low groan in return. Neither of them were thinking at all, neither of them were even capable of thinking. They finally pulled away from their kiss and looked each other in the eyes, hands still wandering. Both were breathing hard until Harry finally spoke.

"Gin, I think we're just both upset. I don't think we're…"

Ginny hushed him and placed a finger on his mouth. "no, Harry, we aren't thinking, but it doesn't matter. I need this."

Before Harry could respond, she had straddled him and removed her shirt. At that point Harry lost all ability to think or speak. He wasn't able to resist his urges anymore and he was sure that Ginny could feel the results of  
her actions beneath his robes. This was confirmed when she gave a sly "ooo…" and rotated her hips teasingly sending a shutter down Harry's spine that sent him completely out of control. He sat up enough to grope her breasts and tease her nipples with his fingers caused Ginny to take in a deep breath.

He rose further and put his arms around her in order to flip her onto her back. She apparently had not expected this because she gasped as he straddled her. Breathing harder and harder, he removed his robes and allowed her hands to begin the task of unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his pants while he continued teasing her nipples, this time with his tongue as well as his fingers. Once she had thrown his belt to the floor and completed the process of opening his pants, he stood momentarily and removed them leaving him in just his boxers. He looked at her for a moment laying on the bed and breathing so hard.

"Ginny, are you" he started, but she quickly hushed him again pulled his boxers to his ankles. He stepped out of them obediently and moved back towards the bed. Once back by her side, he allowed his hands to wander up her skirt and gently touch her inner thighs. Her hands gripped his arm appreciatively as he did this and her hips moved back and forth on the bed. A bit nervously, he allowed his hand to move slowly further upward until he felt her panties. He gently rubbed her from outside of her underwear to see her reaction. It was quite a nice reaction too. She groaned her loudest yet and began to pant in anticipation. Harry was definitely enjoying himself, and his mind was on nothing else but pleasuring the beautiful girl on the bed with him. His fingers teased the inside of her panties and he was not disappointed in her reaction. The look on her face was making him hornier and hornier. His penis was so hard that he could hardly bear it, and he could tell that her condition was not much better. Shaking, he gracefully removed her underwear leaving only her skirt. Thankfully, skirts do not cause many inconveniences.

Harry crawled on top of Ginny, still in disbelief of what was happening. Before plunging himself inside of her, however, he leaned in close and whispered in Ginny's ear "Do you really want me to be inside of you?" Her response was a hardly audible groaned "yes!" One hand holding himself above her, he moved the other back up her skirt and inserted a finger into her vagina moving it around in small circular motions. To Harry's immense pleasure, Ginny let out a loud "oh!" Her vagina was wet and warm and Harry could wait no more. He removed his finger and put both arms around Ginny so that he was gripping her shoulders from behind. He teased her lips with his head for a moment and slowly began to push his dick into her. Both teenagers were breathing harder and harder with every small movement deeper. Ginny was getting louder and Harry was grateful that no one could hear them. Once Harry was all the way inside the girl, she let out a low groan of relief. Harry grinned and pulled back so he could slam her nice and hard. This resulted in a scream of pleasure. The two got in rhythm and continued to speed up until they were both sweating. Soon Ginny felt what could only be compared to fireworks inside her and not long after Harry felt the same as he came deep inside her and collapsed into her arms. After catching their breath, they broke apart and silently redressed and sat on the bed.

It was Ginny who spoke first. "we shouldn't tell anyone about this."

With that she left Harry alone and completely dumbfounded. He got up quickly and followed her.

"Ginny!" he yelled down the tunnel, "Gin! Wait!"

His shouts were futile, because she had run faster than he had ever seen her run back to the school. He sighed, confused and decided it was best if he headed back towards the school and helped with the damage assessment and the injured.

When Harry arrived back at the school he was almost immediately plowed down by a group of witches running full speed towards the dungeons, presumably for more potions supplies. As he made his way towards the great hall he was nearly tackled once again by the same group of witches this time carrying all they could hold of herbs and small vials of liquid and a number of other items Harry recognized from Snape's potions supply room.

When he finally reached the great hall, he was hit by a wave a pain. This was not caused by the piles of dead or dying, but by a single witch who was running at full speed.

"Ginny!" Harry yelled and he grabbed her arms and pulled her into the nearest broom closet. "What was with you? Why did you just run off like that?"

Ginny looked thoroughly embarrassed and responded quickly. "Look, we need to talk about this later."

She left the closet quickly and headed back into the great hall.

Chaos ensued for some time until all of the injured had been sent to St. Mungo's and the dead, though Harry still couldn't bear to think about it, were delivered to the wizarding morgue also at St. Mungo's. Mr. Weasley and Kingsely Shacklebolt had already begun the process of notifying families of deaths and injuries. They would be doing so until the afternoon of the next day.

Once everything had calmed down and it was decided that repairs should not be worried over for at least a few days people began to head home. It was at this time when Harry realized he didn't really have a home to go to. He couldn't imagine being welcome back at the weasley's after what he had done to their son. He was pulled from his thoughts by Mrs. Weasley.

"Harry, dear, are you coming home?"

The words hit Harry like a ton of bricks right on his chest. If the situation had been different at all, he may have smiled, but as it was he just followed her out the huge doors of the school towards the gates that led off the grounds. Not far out of the gate Mrs. Weasley found a discarded hat and made a quick portkey out of it. Once home most of the Weasley family went silently to bed leaving Ron, Hermione, and Harry standing in the kitchen. Ron looked momentarily at the two of them before following the rest of his family towards the bedrooms. Hermione didn't say a word before making her way to Ginny's room to sleep on the pull away bed.

Harry couldn't bare to sleep in the room with Ron tonight so he made his way to the couch. He was surprised when he caught himself dosing off. The next thing he new it was morning, but still quiet in the house. This was a new sensation for the Weasley house. Apparently Mrs. Weasley had opted to stay in bed for once in her life. Harry sat up and stretched before wandering to the kitchen. Suddenly he was struck with inspiration.

Harry quickly set to motion. He grabbed the nearest cookbook to him. _Simple Dishes For the Witch with Many Plates to Fill. _Harry only hoped that simple was not an underestimation as he had absolutely no experience with magical cooking. He began flipping through the pages until he saw a picture that made his mouth water. It included a juice of a lovely color, perfectly browned biscuits, as gorgeous slice of french toast with a perfectly sized side of bacon. He glanced down the page to see that the recipe wasn't difficult at all, so he began to summon ingredients.

Once he had gathered all he necessary ingredients he followed the instructions in the recipe for preparation. Thankfully, this book seemed to be designed for beginners so it had an appendix describing all the spells necessary to complete each meal. Soon he had managed to finish the cooking and set the table for breakfast. This task was completed right in time for the rest of the household to begin stirring and start making their way downstairs.

Mrs. Weasley was the first to enter the kitchen, expected to have to half-heartedly go through the motions of preparing breakfast for her family and guests. She gasped when she saw the table full of food that she had certainly not cooked. Harry quickly filled her plate and pulled out her chair. Bewildered, she sat down. She didn't seem to know quite how to act having not spent any time at all in front of the stove. Without a comment Harry moved to the living room to heard the rest of the clan towards the table.

Everyone was quite please with the meal, and Harry was glad to know that his first magically prepared meal had been a complete success. After everyone had eaten their full, Harry stood to do the cleaning but Mrs. Weasley stopped him before he could even pick up a cloth.

"I will have none of that." She said in a stern but kind tone, "You have helped me plenty this morning Harry. I couldn't bear to not at least clean up."

Knowing how set on her routine Mrs. Weasley was, Harry opted not to argue and left intending to take a walk in the garden.

It wasn't long before he realized that he was being followed. He turned around and his wand was out before he even thought about who it may be.

"Why is it that every time I run into you, you pull your wand on me?" asked a voice from behind a tree. She slowly stepped out from her hiding place.

"Ginny" was all Harry could say. He wasn't sure what this visit was all about.

"I believe that we need to talk" was all that she said.

"I'll say." Harry responded.

She came towards him and, to Harry's pleasure, grabbed his hand. She continued to lead him further into the garden. It turned out that the Weasley's actually owned a lot of land.

"This land has been in our family for ages," Ginny explained, "When we were kids we used to pretend that there was treasure buried somewhere on the property and we would draw maps that were supposed to lead us to it."

Harry knew that she was just chatting to avoid what was really on her mind, but he chose to allow her to continue until she felt a little more courageous. Finally she stopped him in a particularly beautiful spot in the garden and turned to face him.

"Harry about the other night…. I'm sorry"

"what are you sorry for?" Harry asked a bit puzzled

"I shouldn't have pushed myself onto you like that. I wasn't thinking at all"

"Neither of us were, it's okay, but I'm glad that it happened… if you are"

She thought for a moment the gave a small smile. "I guess I'm glad that it happened. I've actually wanted you like that for a long time."

Harry smiled and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

_A/N: okay so that concludes chapter one. I think it's a pretty good beginning, don't you? If so, let me know! And if not, let me know that too! _


	2. A New Life Begins

_Disclaimer: I'm sure if this isn't the first fic that you have read then you know that drill. All I own here is the plot.. And maybe a character or two, but nothing from Harry Potter. I'm telling you this only because lawsuits are not my friend. So enjoy!_

_IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS FANFIC IS RATED "M" CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE READING THIS. YOU ARE WARNED._

CHAPTER TWO: A NEW LIFE BEGINS

Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley children were sitting around the living room of the Burrow not speaking. It was now three days after the attack on the school and there had been a massive memorial service that morning for the fallen. They were now listening as anchor after anchor described the battle in which they were not in attendance on Mrs. Weasley's magical radio system and Harry was about to crack.

After hours of sitting without saying a word, he was greatly relieved when Ginny stood and flipped the switch on the machine to "off."

"Do you all really think that this is going to help at all?" She asked the group, then with a crack in her voice she added, "Do you really think this is what Fred would have wanted?"

Harry stood to hold her close to him and rubbed her back. The rest of the gang looked at each other nervously until George spoke.

"Gin's right. Fred wouldn't have wanted us to be sulking around here like this. He would want us to enjoy our time off from our job's that he got us, or our summer from school, or whatever it is we should be enjoying! How about a game of Quidditch?"

For a moment no one spoke. Could they really just play Quidditch when a member of their team had been removed? Who would play the other beater? It was Hermione who broke the silence this time.

"That sounds like a great idea." She said determinedly.

With Hermione's stamp of approval, the suggestion suddenly seemed possible. She even agreed to play.

It was fairly obvious that the game was forced and a little awkward, but they all managed to have fun at it. After a decent game, they headed back to the house. When they arrived, Mrs. Weasley presented Harry with a letter that had just been delivered. He was not surprised the see that it was from Professor McGonagall; he had sent her an owl earlier that day asking about Teddy. He opened the letter and read it.

_Harry,_

_According to Remus's and Tonks's wills, you are indeed Teddy's legal Guardian. Currently, he is under the care of his grandmother and she is perfectly willing to keep him as long as you need her too. I'm sure that you are willing and completely capable of caring for Teddy, but I think it best if you get your life on track (i.e. Find yourself a career and get settled) before you begin caring for Teddy full time. Until then, I encourage you to visit him on a regular basis to ensure that he is familiar with you. _

_Best of wishes,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

Harry was slightly disappointed that he wasn't going to have Teddy with him for some time yet. He had gotten used to the idea of having an infant to take care of, but McGonagall's logic was unbeatable as usual. He needed to get a career going and figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life before he could be responsible for another. The problem of the was of course that he had no idea what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, he was sure that he had thrown away his shot at being an auror when he had abandoned his final year of school and not taken his NEWTS. Harry sat down just in time for Mr. Weasley to walk in the door.

"Harry! I'm glad you're here, I have some news for you!" he said, sliding a letter across the table to him.

"What's this?" He asked, a bit confused.

"open it and I'm sure that you will find out." Ginny piped in. Harry obeyed and read the first few lines to himself. He looked up to Mr. Weasley as if to ask if what he was reading was real.

"But I thought," He started to say.

"What does it say?" Ginny asked. It was obvious that her curiosity was eating away at her. Harry obliged by reading it to her.

_To Harry James Potter:_

_It has recently come to our attention that you were previously interested in a career as an auror. We understand that you were unable to attend your N.E.W.T.S. tests last year since you were not in attendance at school. Normally several NEWTS are required in order to enter the academy, but in consideration of your recent contribution to wizard society, we feel that you have all of the usual aptitudes required for admission. For these reasons we feel that we can allow you to enter the academy with two conditions:_

_After reviewing your potions scores over your school record, we feel that you will need some extra training in that area._

_After the first year of training, you will be required to sit the NEWTS._

_We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and hope that you will be joining us for classes in the fall. If you so choose to accept this offer, a list of required texts and supplies has been attached. _

_Hoping to see you soon,_

_Henry Moody_

_Auror's Academy Headmaster_

When Harry finished reading, he looked up to see that both Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had the same astonished look on their faces.

"Moody?" he asked, "is he related to mad-eye?"

"He sure is, but very distantly." Mr. Weasley responded with an amused grin, "he likes to pretend that they were close relatives. My best suggestion to you is to just go with it."

Harry let out a small laugh and looked at the letter again. After a moment or two, Ginny cut in.

"Oh Harry! You are going to do it, aren't you?" She asked.

Harry thought before responding, "I'm not sure." He said, then he looked at Mr. Weasley. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course," he responded, "Think as long as you want. Classes don't begin until September."

"I think I'll do that." he said, then he folded the letter and slid it into his pocket.

Once the note was safely tucked away, Mrs. Weasley took a breath and continued with her cooking. It appeared that lunch would be ready soon, so Harry left to go for a walk and clear his head of all that had happened in the past few minutes. His mind was so distracted that he didn't even notice when Ginny slipped out to follow him.

He didn't even pay attention to where his feet were taking him, but kept walking until he came to a spot that he felt would be nice and private. Trees and bushes surrounded the area, but there was still a nice view of the sky and the colors that radiated from the unseen setting sun. There he conjured a blanket and made himself comfortable while he watched as the sun went down. By this time, he had realized he was being followed and was fairly sure as to who it was doing the following. He looked over to her and smiled invitingly. Ginny returned the smile and made herself comfortable next to him on the blanket.

"You know Ginny, being an auror is all that I ever wanted to do." He said to her.

"Yeah, I know." She responded simply.

"So why is it such a hard decision for me? Shouldn't I be jumping for the opportunity to live that dream? Why do I have these doubts?"

"What doubts could you possibly have?" she asked, sitting up to look at him directly.

Harry thought carefully for a minute the responded, "Well, if I'm going to school then how am I supposed to take care of Teddy? And am I really going to be able to catch up enough to pass my NEWTS after the first year?"

Ginny responded without hesitation, "yes. Of course you'll be able to do it. That's not even a question. As for Teddy, his grandmother is glad to take care of him as long as you need her too. She understands that you are young and you need to get your life started before you can take care of another, and you'll get to visit him and maybe he can spend weekends with you or something."

Harry smiled, "How do you do that?"

"Do what"

"You made me feel better so easily. It's like you knew just what to say"

"Isn't that what girlfriends are for?"

Harry was suddenly struck with a moment of inspiration. "I know something else that girlfriends are for..." he said slyly.

He reached over and pulled her into a kiss. When the two came up for air, Ginny smiled and, just as he wanted, she climbed on top of him. The excitement that followed could be matched by no one.

Their clothes were removed so fast that, had someone been watching they would have accused the two of temporarily growing extra limbs. Soon the blanket that harry had conjured was being pulled and tangled in the bodies of the two lovers.

Ginny gave Harry pleasures that he had only dreamt of. Once she was satisfied that he was thoroughly aroused and all self control had been abandoned, she straddled him and slowly placed herself down onto him. It wasn't long at all before the two exploded all over each other and they were lying on the blanket panting.

"Ginny, you are so amazing." Harry managed as he began to catch his breath.

Unable to respond, Ginny simply gave him a quick peck on he cheek in thanks. Harry looked around. The sun had completely set and the stars were lighting the clearing.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" he said.

Ginny nodded, it seemed that she was still speechless so Harry spoke again.

"We should probably get redressed or we'll both end up sick."

Again, Ginny did not respond but stood to put her clothes back on. Harry made a wave of his wand and the blanket on the ground disappeared, then grabbed Ginny's hand and they made their way back to the burrow together.

They arrived with just enough time to sneak upstairs before dinner was served, though it was extremely hard to resist the occasional glance towards the end of the table where Ginny was seated in between Ron and her father. It was easy to see that she was suffering the same difficulty. When dinner was finally over neither could remember a single thing about what was eaten or what had been discussed during the meal.

The weeks that followed were are basically the same. In between the random chores that Mrs. Weasley threw at them, Harry and Ginny would sneak off as much as they could to talk, and commence with any other fun things that they could come up with, but their time together was limited at best since Mrs. Weasley had decided that she was going to give the burrow a complete overhaul bother inside and out since she had "so many willing and helpful hands around." Most of the children agreed that it was her own way of dealing with Fred's death. Ginny had confided in Harry that when she walked passed her room at night she often heard her mother's soft sobs and her father's whispered comforts.

Admittedly, everyone was grateful to be busy. It kept them from having too much downtime to their thoughts. Nights were hard on everyone and there were several nights when Ginny ended up in Harry's bed due to night terrors. On these nights Harry would hold her close and rub her back gently until she fell asleep then carry her carefully back to her room so neither of them would end up in any trouble the next day. He was sure that her father would not be please with either of the for a moment's laps of judgment like that.

One day when the kids actually had a moment to breath, Ginny made a suggestion to Harry that he should have thought of long before.

"Why don't we go visit Teddy today?" she asked.

Harry thought for a moment and decided that it would be a great idea. He instructed her to make sure that it was okay with her mother that he take her on side-a-long apparation and she returned quickly with a bag and a bright grin.

"Mom says to be back by six for dinner"

Harry smiled at her, for a moment she looked completely carefree. It was almost as if, just for a moment, things were back to normal.

"Harry?" she broke through his thoughts, "are you alright?"

"Yes, my love, I'm just perfect," he said before grabbing her by the hand, "Now hold on tight."

She closed her eyes and he pulled her with him into the darkness that was closing around him. A second later they appeared in the back yard of Andromeda Tonks. They took a quick breath and walked around the front of the house to knock properly. Surprisingly, the house seemed pretty normal. It was a small ranch style home with plane white siding and peach shutters. The door stained lightly and the porch included a swing and two rocking chairs. Anyone who saw this house would have thought that it came straight out of a catalog trying to convince people to buy real estate in the country and watch the corn grow.

They knocked on the door and waited as noises came from inside the house. Harry and Ginny looked at each other. It sounded like a war was going on in the house. They knocked again, and this time Andromeda answered the door quickly. She looked frazzled and half asleep. It was quite obvious that they had interrupted a nap. Her hair was frizzy enough to fit perfectly in any eighty's music video and her clothing consisted of a small night gown and a bath robe that she was fighting to keep closed.

"Oh! Harry, dear! I'm so sorry, I wasn't expecting you. Come on in, love."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other nervously again before entering.

"I'm sorry Andromeda, I should have sent notice before I came over. I just wanted to spend some time with Teddy." Harry said.

"Of course dear. He's just in his crib."

The inside of the house was exactly the opposite of the outside. Indoors the home was cluttered and disorganized. It was much clearer that the Tonks family lived there once the inside of the house was inspected.

"um, where might that be?" Harry asked as he looked around. Harry was no expert, but this seemed like no place for a baby.

"It's just in here," she said pointing to a room that looked difficult to get to due to boxes and misplaced furniture, "I'm sorry about the mess. It's just been so difficult to keep up lately," her voice began to crack, "with Nymphadora and Remus..." it was clear that she could no longer go on.

Without even thinking about it Harry hugged her and the tears began to fall. Right there in the middle of the Tonks living room, Harry cracked. He cried and she cried and the sat there in the floor holding each other. Harry hardly new this women, but just knowing that she knew what he was going through and completely understood made him feel like he had known her forever. He knew that it had been perhaps more difficult for her than it was for him having Teddy there every second of the day reminding her of what she had lost.

Through the whole ordeal Ginny didn't say a word. She was well aware that both Harry and Adromeda needed this time to cope. When the baby began to fuss she disappeared and went to him. After some time Andromeda pulled away and they both wiped there tears. Neither had said a single word during the entire time that they were on the floor, but both had received exactly the amount of help they needed.

Their tears dried and minds a little more at ease, Andromeda led Harry to the room where Ginny had found the infant.

"He is such a great baby," Ginny said. She looked quite content in her position on the floor next to the bubbly baby. Harry smiled and she returned the favor.

"Why don't we take him outside; he does love it there," Andromeda suggested. Harry agreed so they gathered him up and took him to the backyard.

Harry conjured a blanked just as he had that night in the garden and placed the child on it so he wouldn't find some insect or rock to attempt to eat and sat down next to him to do some bonding. The four of them had a wonderful time taking turns playing with Teddy. It astounded Harry how happy the infant was, but then again he probably didn't really realize that he was an orphan. Harry vowed that afternoon to ensure that Teddy grew up happy and aware of what wonderful courageous people his parents both were.

"Would the two of you like to stay for dinner?" Andromeda asked as Harry tossed the child into the air and caught him full of giggles.

"No, thanks" Harry responded, handing Teddy back to Andromeda, "We really should be going. We promised Ginny's mother we would be home at six and it is very nearly that now. Thank you for the offer though."

Harry leaned down and gave Teddy a kiss on the forehead. He looked up at him and smile, causing Harry's heart to melt in his chest.

"can we come see him again next weekend?" he asked.

"Of course," Andromeda answered, "and I promise to be better prepared next time."

After laughs all around, Harry and Ginny waved an disaparated back to the burrow.

Dinner went smoothly and everyone broke away from the table full and as happy as could be. Afterwards Ginny pulled Harry outside to go for a walk. The moon was new Harry lit his wand to break the darkness.

"Did you enjoy your visit today, Harry?" She asked after a while of silence.

"Yes, definitely," Harry said, "I can't wait until he's ours." He through the 'ours' in there without thinking, but did not regret it.

"You really think that we can handle a baby?"

By this time they had reached the top of a hill that was one of her absolutely favorite spots so she turned to face him.

"I think that we can handle anything if we tackle it together." Harry responded, "As long as we stick together we can conquer any obstacle."

"That's good because..." she stopped.

"Because what?" Harry asked, confused.

"Because... I'm pregnant."

_a/n: sorry for the long wait, lots of finals and Christmas shopping and mothers freaking out because of a certain daughter (me) not coming home for Christmas... it's been a pretty chaotic week, but I hope it lives up to all of your great reviews! Thanks to everyone who reviewed it was my motivation to keep my writing nice and high on my to-do list! _

_ 3 Ashley_


	3. Another New Life Begins

_Disclaimer: I'm sure if this isn't the first fic that you have read then you know that drill. All I own here is the plot.. And maybe a character or two, but nothing from Harry Potter. I'm telling you this only because lawsuits are not my friend. So enjoy!_

_IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS FANFIC IS RATED "M" CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE READING THIS. YOU ARE WARNED._

CHAPTER 3: ANOTHER NEW LIFE BEGINS

Harry was sitting on the grass at the top of a hill on the Weasley property. His mind was spinning so fast that had someone asked him to share his thoughts he wouldn't have been able to even make a single coherent sentence. Had he heard her right? Maybe she was just testing him, or maybe she was mistaken. Things like that happened, right? A woman could think she was pregnant and it could actually be just an error in judgment or a miscalculated date.

"Are you sure?" was all that he could think to say.

Ginny took a deep breath, grasped his hand and responded seriously, "Yes, I am sure. I... I missed my period so I had Hermione help me with a spell that tells a witch if she is pregnant and well... I am."

"Hermione knows?"

"Yes, but she is the only one. I just couldn't do the spell on my own and I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily, so I had her help me. She won't tell anyone."

"Your parents are going to flip"

"Yes, quite probably."

"Your father and brothers are going to kill me."

"That is a possibility."

"Your mother is going to kill you."

"yet another possibility"

"Are you sure."

"Yes"

"Your parents are going to flip."

"And this is where the conversation begins going in circles. I think it may be better if we reside ourselves to the fact that it is extremely possible that both of us may have just signed our own death certificates and start thinking about what we are going to do."

She was right, of course. Harry's mind was going in circles and it had quickly sent the conversation in that same direction. There were important things to discuss. How were they going to break the news to her family? Were they really ready to be parents? What should they do from here? Ginny interrupted his panic.

"There is one thing."

"Yeah, Gin"

"My mother will probably push that we get married because of this, but I don't want that yet. I don't want to be married on the account of a child. We can make this work, but I don't want to jump into a marriage just because we are going to have a baby. That is very important to me, so we are not going to get married until some time far down the road when we both feel like it's right and we are sure that children or no children we are committed to spending the rest of our lives together."

"I agree." He stopped for a moment and thought. "I supposed we will live at Sirius's old house, at least if you want to live with me. I do think that that is a good idea, at least at first and if it doesn't work out then I guess we'll find something else... I'll pay for you to rent a flat or something if you want."

"No, that's fine. I want us to try and raise this child and Teddy in as normal a family as possible."

"That's right, and I suppose I won't be going to the auror's academy."

"Nonsense! This is not going to ruin your plans."

That statement brought something else to Harry's mind.

"What about you?" He asked "What about your schooling?"

"Hermione says that Hogwarts has a homeschooling type of program available for students with extenuating circumstances like illness or well... pregnancy. You think that this is the first time that something like this has happened? Apparently it's all spelled out in _Hogwarts: A History_"

"Well, I guess that will do. How are we going to break this to your parents. They are going to kill us."

"I don't think that we should tell them quite yet. Let's get everything settled at your house first."

Not at all in a hurry to inform his best friend that he had impregnated his sister, Harry agreed.

That night it was nearly impossible to get to sleep, and when Harry finally drifted off he was plagued with dreams that mostly involved him being tied to a chair or a tree with Ron and Mr. Weasley pelting hexes and curses at him. He would almost welcome the return of his voldemort dreams over these new terrors.

When dawn finally cracked, Harry went downstairs to the living room. He was not surprised at all to find Ginny on the couch reading a book.

"Couldn't sleep either huh?" she said to him.

"hardly" he said as he sat next to her.

They sat there hardly saying a word until the rest of the family began to stir. Hermione was the first to wake.

"I leave today." she said as she took her seat in the chair next to the couch, "McGonagall sent me notice yesterday that she had retrieved my parents from their safe house and that they're back to their normal selves, so I'll be going home today. It's been so long since I've seen them, I'm really looking forward to it. I miss them so much."

It was obvious that she was quite excited. Harry and Ginny just smiled as she rambled on for a while. It didn't take her too long to come back down to earth. She seemed to be able to tell that something wasn't quite right in the room.

"So I guess she told you." she said.

"Yes, but just one question Hermione. Are you absolutely sure?" Harry asked.

"Well, to be honest, there is a little room for error, but I am fairly sure yes." she responded.

Harry chose not to respond to that at all. He didn't want it to seem like he was looking for ways out of this to Ginny, although he definitely wished that he had done things a little differently now. He should have been more careful, more responsible.

It was good that he didn't respond because the next minute several other family members made their way downstairs stretching and yawning. Mrs. Weasley came first and gave a tired wave as she went towards the kitchen.

"you three sure are up early," she said then went straight to the kitchen to start breakfast for the crew.

After a minute Hermione went upstairs to make sure that she was all packed, and Harry made a suggestion.

"After breakfast, how about we go over to the manner and gage how much work needs to be done."

"That sounds like a great idea," Ginny responded.

They ate breakfast quickly and with minimal conversation then left just as quickly.

When they arrived Kreacher came running immediately.

"Master! Master! It has been so long! What can Kreacher do for master? Would master like some food" Allow Kreacher to take master and his mistress's coats."

"um...Kreacher," Harry said, "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but it's June so we don't have any coats. Why don't you just take a quick rest while we have a look around the house."

"Yes, master, thank you, master. Kreacher has been cleaning day and night and fixing things too. I hope master finds everything in order."

"Thank you kreacher."

Harry and Ginny headed into the family room to begin their assessment.

"He sure seems eager," Ginny told Harry.

"He has been lately. Personally, I welcome the change."

They went from room to room inspecting windows, doors, and furniture until they were satisfied that they had compiled a complete list of tasks that needed completing. Harry gave a small portion of that list to Kreacher and accepted his very persistent offer of food and drink.

Kreacher entered the dining area with a plate of sandwiches and carrots sticks balanced on his head so he could hold two large goblets of drink. He placed each on the table in a surprisingly graceful fashion, and left the room with a deep bow.

"Well I must admit, this is quite nice." Ginny said immediately.

"The house?" Harry asked.

"No, silly, the lunch. I mean just the two of us. It's not common that we get to eat a meal where we aren't fighting an entire army for seconds."

"That is true."

"Well I need to use the restroom. I'll be right back Mr. Potter" she said tauntingly as she got up and placed her napkin on the table.

Harry sat waiting for her, lost in his own thoughts. This truly was unbelievable, but he was getting used to the idea of being a family. Never having really had that himself, he was craving it now and he was sure that he could give that to Teddy and this new child. Ginny entered the room and reseated herself at the table across from Harry.

"Well," she said, "shall we eat?"

To Harry, she seemed awfully serious. Something was wrong.

"Gin, what's going on? You seem a little off. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. Why?"

"Because you sat down at the table like we're at some kind of fancy French restaurant, and your tone is suspiciously somber for the Ginny I know. Either something is wrong or you are not the Ginny I know which calls for a particularly powerful hex."

At this point he pretended to go for his wand and was careful that his face remained very serious. It only to a second for her to crack.

"Okay! Okay! Something is wrong. Well maybe no wrong exactly, it depends on your opinion." She stopped.

Harry was confused and his face showed it.

"Go on," he said.

"Okay. Well... you see..."

"Yeah, Gin"

"I'm not pregnant."

"Your not? But the test and you said..."

"I know what I said, but apparently something was wrong because I just got my period. It's late but it's there."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, I am fairly sure that I can tell when I've started my period. It's sort of hard to miss, you see." It was obvious that she was getting upset.

"I believe you. It's just that you said that test was pretty much full proof."

"Yes, I know. Maybe we did something wrong, misread something, I don't know. The point is, I'm not pregnant and you don't have to do all this."

The next thing Harry knew, she was crying and he had no idea why. He jumped out of his chair and was across the table faster than he knew was possible.

"Ginny! What on earth is wrong. Why are you crying?"

"I don't really know. I guess I had kind of gotten used to the idea of having a baby with you, and I was kind of looking forward to having a family with you."

"We will one day, when we are both ready. I admit I had started to get used to the idea, but neither of us is really ready for this and you know that. As far as doing all this, I need to fix this place up anyway. I do have to live here you know. Did you think I was going to live at your house forever?"

"I guess I see your point. I just... I... I don't know what I was thinking. Forget about it. I'll be okay, I promise."

"I know you will, because that's who you are. You're strong and you can get through anything. I understand why you're upset, but it's okay. One day when the time is right you'll get everything that you want in a family. As for right now, we are going to be much more careful from now on, understand?"

"Yeah, I do. I'll be okay. Look at the bright side. We don't have to tell my brother that I'm pregnant with his best friend's baby."

"That, my love, is one of many good sides to this. Now let's head home."

_a/n: okay, so it's a little short, but at least you didn't have to wait nearly as long for this one as the last one and this just seems like a nice easy stopping point. I'm not so cruel as to give you two terrible cliffies in a row. Just remember to review!!! _

_To my faithful reviewers:_

_ginevrapulliza: you were my first reviewer! Thanks! I hope that chap 2 was as good as chap 1 as you requested._

_GinnyLovesHarry1995:Thanks for the reviews! And yes they were very irresponsible, but I think they have learned their lesson._

_Fictitious facades: so enthusiastic, I hope it continues to be fantastic._

_Sourapple52196: Thanks for noticing that it's well thought out. I have actually been planning this for a while. I mean something has to happen for those 19 years, right? Let's just thank jkr for leaving such a wonderful blank canvas for us to fill in with wonderful fanfiction!_

_Codyesh: I'm glad you like the chapter, let's hope the rest are as good. _

_hawkeye1958: cheers right back at you! I hope the rest of the story is good too, not just the beginning. We'll see. _

_LunaLovegood101: sorry for the cliffy, but I was nice this time. :)_

_goodygurl: I'm so glad you liked the beginning, I almost deleted that bit because it seemed out of character for both of them, but that was kind of the point so I left it. Thanks!_


	4. Party Hardy!

_Disclaimer: I'm sure if this isn't the first fic that you have read then you know that drill. All I own here is the plot.. And maybe a character or two, but nothing from Harry Potter. I'm telling you this only because lawsuits are not my friend. So enjoy!_

_IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS FANFIC IS RATED "M" CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE READING THIS. YOU ARE WARNED._

_a/n: Okay it has been FOREVER since I updated! I'm so sorry! This chapter just wouldn't end. It was going to go on forever and I couldn't seem to find a way to end it. So today I was writing an English paper and watching death note and somehow the odd combination seemed to make something click in my head and the final couple of paragraphs were apparent to me. I think you're in for a surprise. enjoy!_

CHAPTER 4: PARTY HARDY!

Harry woke early in the morning to the sounds of shouting, crashing, and bells. The bells were what worried him. Shouting and crashes weren't exactly uncommon in the Weasley household, but bells? He stretched and pulled himself out of bed and towards the wardrobe on the other side of the room. Once he was dressed he took a deep breath and prepared himself for anything that could be taking place beyond his bedroom door. Bravely, he opened the door.

The first thing that he saw was red and loud. Red because all Weasleys are read and loud because he was carrying a bell that was as big as he was which Harry had hit with the door.

"Ron! Is everything okay up there?" came a shout from downstairs.

"Yeah! Everything's good! Harry's awake!" Ron shouted in response.

"Oh dear," the voice said from downstairs followed by another crash and the sound of someone running up the stairs. When Mrs. Weasley appeared she looked as if she had either stuck her head in a dryer or been doing a lot of running in the past hour or so. She signaled to Ron to move on and ushered Harry back into his room.

"Why don't you stay in here and... erm... study, dear." she said with an unsure tone to her voice. It was obvious that she was up to something; and, given the date, he was sure he knew exactly what it was. Today was July 31st but he wasn't excited at all. He hadn't been in the mood for parties lately, but he would have to put on a good face for Mrs. Weasley and at least make her believe that he was having a good time. There was no way that he was going to ask the woman to cancel her plans for today, it would crush her. Because of this, he simply smiled and agreed.

Once she left Harry did realize that studying was probably a good idea, but he had very few books in here since most of them had been abandoned at the Dursley's last year. He was sure that setup for this grand event would take a while, so he grabbed his supplies list, scribbled a quick note to leave on his desk, and apparated away to Diagon alley right next to Flourish and Blott's. It was still fairly early in the summer so the place wasn't as crowded as it normally was when he saw it. There were a few Hogwart's students and a handful of others wandering the shelves. Harry joined the small group and glanced down at his list.

It didn't take him long to pick up the books that were required of him plus a few extra reference books and some parchment and quills. His other supplies could wait for later, but the books were done so he twisted into the darkness again and was immediately back at the burrow in his bedroom. It was obvious that he hadn't been gone long because the note that he had left on his bed had gone untouched. He pulled his books out of the bag that he had enchanted to hold them all and stacked them on the table closest to his desk. It was then that he realized that he had absolutely no idea where to start. As if on cue, Hermione knocked on his door.

"Hermione?" Harry said once the door was opened, "I thought that you had gone."

"I had, I'm just back for the party. I don't think you're supposed to know about the party, but if you don't know by now then you are far more dense than I thought, Harry."

"I think you may have just insulted me but I'm going to let it go, now will you help me with something real quick?"

"sure, what can I do?"

"Well, you study more than anyone I know so I thought you could help me come up with a plan of attack. I want to be as caught up as possible when I start at the academy and I have no idea where to begin, or where to go from there for that matter."

"well, what do you have to study?" she asked.

Harry indicated the stack of books that was so large the table beneath it was buckling with the pressure. Hermione thought for a moment and began to arrange the books in what seemed like arbitrary piles across his bed. She continued to work and sort occasionally stopping to think and readjusting until she finally took a deep breath and present her work.

"done," she said, "allow me to explain the system here. This pile," she indicated the shortest of the stacks, "includes the texts that I feel you can get away with a quick overview of the first chapter just to prepare for your first day of class. This pile," she pointed a a stack that was near toppling, "is the pile that includes the texts that I feel you should read in order to ensure that you are at least a seventh year level."

"That's a pretty big stack," Harry replied, bemused.

"Well, you missed a full year of school. What do you expect?"

"What's the other stack for?"

"Those are reference books. If you have any trouble understanding something completely you should use those to find more information on the topic so you can become an expert."

"It looks like I have my work cut out for me."

"You sure do. I should probably leave you alone so that you can get started. Good luck, Harry"

With that she bounced out of the room and clicked the door closed behind her. After a quick glance at the toppling stack of books which Hermione had dubbed as required to study in order to bring himself up to par, he chose one that looked mildly interesting. It turned out that it was a potions book. A sigh escaped his lips, but he cracked it open and picked up a quill and parchment.

Several hours later he looked up from a chapter on the discovery of the bezoar and it's early usages. The sun was high in the sky and his stomach was beginning to rebel. He decided that it was time for a break and decided that it was time to search for some nourishment. The sound of bells had died down, and the house was relatively quiet. He hoped that this indicated that he wouldn't be ambushed by a rabid looking Mrs. Weasley the moment he stepped out the door. Just in case, he paused at the door for a moment and listened closely. Satisfied that the hall was completely silent, he carefully opened the door and slipped out. As quietly as possible, Harry tiptoed toward the kitchen in hopes of finding some leftover breakfast. It wasn't often that Mrs. Weasley would forget to feed someone. In fact, in Harry's memory this was the first meal that he had unwillingly skipped when in Mrs. Weasley's care. Whatever she was planning, it was a big deal. Harry could only hope that he could scavenge something edible to quell his hunger.

Surprised that he had even managed to make it as far as the kitchen, Harry commenced the search as quickly as he could without drawing too much attention to the side of the house which he was inspecting. The first things he found were the standard rolls and jam that were almost always present on the Weasley table. After a moment or two more of searching, he came across a pitcher of juice and a glass. He carefully poured himself a glass of juice and juggled it with several rolls, knife, and the jar of jam then attempted to return to his bedroom. He had almost made it when he was ambushed.

"Harry! What are you doing down here? I thought that you were upstairs studying for the academy."

It was a frazzled looking Mrs. Weasley who had caught him. Harry grimaced and turned around, unable to speak due to the biscuit that was shoved in his mouth. Realization overcame the exhausted woman immediately and she shifted from frazzled to panicked in a moment.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so sorry. I just cannot believe myself. Here I am not allowing you to leave your room, and I didn't even bother to feed you. My lord, you must be starved." At this point she was hustling around the kitchen pulling food and frying pans out of place that Harry never would have thought to have looked. He clumsily pulled the bread from his mouth so he could speak.

"Mrs. Weasley, it's okay really. I have plenty here. You don't have to cook, it's alright."

He quickly realized that his protests were futile and gave up. He was careful not to spill the jam as he replaced everything on the table to await one of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful home cooked meals. It wasn't a long wait. She whipped up food in ways that Harry didn't think were possible even with magic. It seemed like it was just minutes when a plate was in front of him piled higher than seemed possible with steaming food coupled with a glass of fogging butterbeer that Mrs. Weasley poured from her wand. She didn't even stay in the room long enough for Harry to properly thank her before she was gone somewhere.

Harry ate quickly then went directly back to his room to tackle more of the books that he had just purchased. The stack didn't seem to be getting any shorter, though he hadn't taken even a momentary break all day. He sat determinedly in his previous position and resumed his work.

The sun was beginning to set before there was finally a knock on his door. It had been so utterly quiet for so long that the sudden noise startled him and caused him to reach for his wand before he heard the voice that was calling from the other side of the door. It was Ginny's sweet, soft tone that called to him.

"Harry, can I come in?"

"Of course," he answered immediately. She entered quietly and with a great smile on her face.

"Mom says that you should come downstairs now. I'm sure that we haven't fooled you a bit, but it would probably do her a lot of good if you at least pretend to be a little surprised."

"I wouldn't have thought to do it any other way," Harry responded.

Ginny took his hand and they left the room into the hallway. Having not seen her all day, he followed her more than willingly. She was grinning and giggling all the way downstairs and out into the garden behind which was privately positioned behind the burrow. There, in the middle of the luscious field, was a long table adorned with sparkling gold and green clothes and ribbons. Floating above the table were the gold bells that had confused Harry earlier that morning sending green sparks every time they rang. The sound of the bells had obviously been magically decreased, because the sound wasn't nearly as overwhelming as it was that morning.

Every chair at the table was full save two, presumably for him and Ginny. Harry gladly took his seat and scanned the witches and wizards in attendance. Of course all of the Weasley were present, though at this thought there was a pull at his stomach that reminded him that one was still missing. Also present were Kingsley Shacklebolt, Hermione, and a man Harry had never met. Before Harry could even express that he did not recognize this man, he stood and put his hand out toward Harry.

"Hello, Harry," he said, "my name is Henry Moody. I head the Auror's Academy. I hope you don't mind me intruding on your party like this. I simply wanted to touch bases with you and Molly recommended this little social gathering."

Harry took his hand with a small smile.

"No, sir," he said politely, "I don't mind at all. You are perfectly welcome."

After those formalities, they sat in their seats. All of the Weasley children plus Hermione were obviously exhausted from Mrs. Weasley's ventures that day, but they looked pleased nonetheless. Harry gave sincere thanks all around and soon Ginny disappeared to the kitchen and returned with the single largest cake Harry had ever seen. Harry's jaw dropped. Mrs. Weasley had topped herself yet again.

Not only was the cake beautiful, it tasted wonderful too. Each layer was a different flavor and they melded together to create the most amazing thing that had ever entered Harry's mouth. The whit frosting changed flavor with every bite too. Harry was sure that this was some sort of charm and it made the cake all the better. Mrs. Weasley received more comments that night than she ever had, and every one of them was deserved.

The party itself went smoothly and everyone had a great time, something that had been much needed in the household. Ginny kept making sly glances at Harry out of the corner of her eye that sent chills up his spine not only because of intentions behind her eyes but also because all of the Weasley men plus her mother were sitting at the table with them. Not many people seemed aware that they were dating and he was sure that she had told hardly anyone. He could only imagine the consequences when they found out exactly how close the two young people were.

After the dinner portion of the party the group made its way to the house. It was soon realized that though many people made residence in the Weasley home, it was clear that they were rarely all in the living room together because it was entirely too cramped for comfort. Harry was glad for this, though. It didn't seem to take long lately for him to become tired of being around large numbers of people.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for people to start politely saying their goodbyes or just discretely finding their ways upstairs. After just a short time, only Harry, Ginny and Moody remained. Moody rose from his chair and Harry hoped that he was leaving but somehow he knew that no such action was taking place so it wasn't a bit surprising when the middle-aged man wandered across the room and found a seat closer to Harry.

They sat quietly for a few moments until the new Moody was sure that no one was going to interrupt them.

"Harry, I'm sure that it isn't news to you that what we are doing with you is something that has never been done before. We have strict guidelines at the academy and we like to stick to them. You are the first exception to the rule. I hope that doesn't bother you, Harry."

It suddenly became apparent that this man was not as much on Harry's side as he had thought. He was trying to get a rise out of Harry and to be honest it was working. The truth is, it did bother Harry a bit that he hadn't been admitted on the same grounds as everyone else there, but he knew that he would one day be a great auror, perhaps even one of the best. It was Harry's primary goal to hunt down and kill anyone who had ever helped Voldemort and anyone who shared his beliefs and acted upon them. Fists clenched and lips tight, Harry lied.

"No." he said and then stood and walked away without a word.


End file.
